Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-06-24
NOT A. TEETOTALER.
Heard From Again.-He Asks a Few
Questions.

Questions.
EDITORS HERALD:
A few weeks ago I addressed you q
Tote saying ] was not a teetctaler but
failed to give the reason why. I sup
pose the teetotaler and prohibitionist
go hand in hand very often but not al
ways. The tee5otaler abhors corn
juice but the prohibitlonist has been
known on rare occasions to indulge y
very little just to please a friend you
know; only just sip little, perhaps on
ly quart or pint, but being off on {.
little business quite out of .the\neigh
borhood a drop of spirits reyiSes I'D
inner man you know. Now does pro-
hibiticn prohibit him? Has it done
so in states where it has been sought
to prohibit? Does prohibition con-
vince inebriates Of the wrongfuhess of
their indulgence? Does the nbst ar
dent prohlbitionist insist that men can
be made moral by legislation Does
prohibition not lower the drhkard's
soul in his own estimation, " being
mace a liar and w-breakerin order
to obtain liquor? Does it prohibit cit
liens from laying in stock a hg or key
of corn juice for domestic u,e? Does
it prevent drugstores from Becoming
grogshopsI Did you ever see pre-
scription case in modern dug store :?
If so, step behind Que. Dos prohibit
ton not substitute the liceised sale Of
liquor for the unlicensed and illegal
sale? We say, give us high license,
not moderate, but very high. This is
not unfair as the profits ale enormous.
The license tax goes far towards sup
porting the public purse, and would
perhaps put a few of our little chaps in
school who are now running riot over
the prairies after buttertli,s and fire.
bugs, unawares that a sum mer school
ever existed. While yield to no soul
in the world in detestation of intern.
perance, l say prohibition is not fol
this day and generation.
Yours Truly,
o. w. MooREHEAD,
Sullivan, d. Il.
Mr.. Moorehead's first sentence LEI
us to suppose he had arisen to explain
why he is not a teetotaler; but tina
does not follow, though we 6scoye
why he is not a prohibitionist. A pro
hibitlonist in practice as well as in the
DRY will not do as he says the prohibi
Zionist has been known to do. Their
are men so addicted to drink, that
while they know it is wrong, tley Cal
not resist temptation when hear a
hand. We can easily understand VIII
those men are unwilling to have So
looms brought into the county ind ar
willing to vote for prohibition. NJ
Moorehead next raises the oil wor
out question: "Does prohibition prt
hibit?:" Have our laws against prc
family, thieviHg, murder etc, complet'
ly abolished these crimes9 Ofcours
not, yet we are all agreed tina, it
right to have laws prohibiting thel
and providing for the punishment {
, offenders. In states where prohibitio
!; is now a law, vigorous work is aece
sary to enforce it, but it is being dor
successfully. 1t does not require pr
hibitory laws to convince an inebria
that he is doing wrong. He know
and IN his better moments admits |
wrong doing. If man cannot be ma
moral by legislation, he can in a mel
ure be prevented from exercising l.
inclinations to do wrong. Law cam
abolish crime but can make it very II
pleasant for violators. Mr.. Moorehe
mentions some violations of the pr
= hibitory liquor law which very like
occur but do not on that account d
= tract anything from the law itse
Such occurrences only cast reflection
on men whose duty it is to see t!
law enforced. The revenue from hit
: license is one of the bats held out
saloonists. But will it pay? Llcen
= money is like money borrowed
which an eXorbitant interest mu
be paid in the shape of more Jail roo
and expense to the county in takil
care Of and trying criminals. Jerau
county's solitary boarder, who has &C
the tax payers so much has repeated
acknowledged that whiskev and Cal
{ playing brought him where he
Though gambling is not a necessa
adjunct to card playing nor card pla
ing a necessary accompaniment TO
: saloon yet they are closely linked
t gether. Shall we bring these destro
S ers in our midst and turn them loos
= There is plenty OF material in Jerau
!, county on which they can work. Fin
e will be paid to enrich the pubic Urea
!, llry, but do our citizens want to car
on such Il traffic? y traffic III humi
!, minds and bodies and souls. WI
will offer his boy to be sacrificed IN
| another's may be educated. Better